Muff-glove combination



'Jan-27,1970 l M. F. THoMAs.,JR

' MUFF-GLOVE COMBINATION 2 sheets-'sheen 1 Filed Oct. 9. 1968 l MFF-GLOVE COMBINAT ION Filed out. 9.1968 z sheets-sheet 2 z/fer foyer/'fila KIM 24a 24e Z4 (4\2y 2f y 2.4/ 4% ,wg/fha v irme/ray' United States Patent O 3,491,373 MUFF-GLOVE COMBINATION Mack Finis Thomas, Jr., El Rito, N. Mex., assignor to Psychosync, Inc., a corporation of New Mexico Filed Oct. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 766,249 Int. Cl. A41d 5/00, 19/00 U.S. Cl. 2-66 6 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A combination of a mui-type hollow receptacle and a pair of matching gloves to be employed conjointly by two persons of the opposite sex, each inserting one hand in the receptacle and in one of the two gloves, the receptacle preferably being fur-lined and having a pair of openings each accommodating a similarly lined short sleeve which may be reversed and pushed back into the opening in the receptacle to be closed therein by means of a zipper. The receptacle may be carried by means of a strap or belt.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to wearing apparel in general and in particular to a novel combination of a pair of gloves with a special muff-type receptacle which is adapted to receive and retain in warmth one hand of each of two persons of the opposite sex who are mutually attracted to each other.

Description of the prior art Gloves have, of course, been known in innumerable forms for centuries, as have been muffs intended to be worn by one person. Examples of mulfs may be found in United States Patent No. 95,240 issued to Bernhard Levey in 1869 and No. 405,097 issued to Otto Kaehler in 1889. More recently United States Patent No. 2,321,- 091, issued in 1943 to Elizabeth Kertesz and another, discloses an article of apparel which could serve as a glove or, with another similar article, as a glove-muff combination. No prior patents have been found, however, which disclose the particular novel combination of the present invention nor the construction of the mufftype receptacle disclosed herein; nor do any of the prior patents appear to have provided any wearing apparel to accomplish the purposes of the present invention.

Heretofore, in cold climates when two members of the opposite sex are together outdoors and desire to hold each others hand in the process of courting, they have either had to do so with gloved clasping hands or to suffer exposure to the cold should they attempt to hold hands without gloves on the joined hands. In the latter event, they run the further risk of one or both of them losing the unused gloves, particularly should such hand joining be attempted during a ski lift ride up a mountainside or at a crowded exciting football game or other sporting event. Moreover, since the openings in a conventional muff are usually co-axial, such a mutf cannot conveniently be shared by two people sitting side by side using adjacent right and left hands. The 180 angle made by the two muf openings does not comfortably permit insertion in such a muff of adjacent hands. In addition, it has not heretofore been possible for two such persons to demonstrate their togetherness through matching apparel beyond having similar types of gloves, one of which must be removed from each of their hands should they desire to hold hands. Although the patent to Kaehler et al., mentioned above includes in the muif a purse-like compartment, this would not appear to be vsuitable to receive and retain many or large objects; nor have prior muti-like ro flCC articles been provided with retractable sleeves which can be zipped up within the overall configuration of the basic receptacle and carried on ones shoulder, as by a strap support.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a novel muff-type, preferably circular, hollow receptacle which is particularly adapted to receive and comfortably retain two hands, one of each of two different persons, each of the other hands of said persons being clothed with a glove matching the receptacle in material and style. Two separate openings are provided in the receptacle the inside of which latter is preferably lined with fur, sheeps wool or some other heat retaining material, and short sleeves extend from the lining through the openings. The axis of each opening preferably extends from the center of the receptacle radially outwardly to define with the axis of the other opening an angle substantially less than degrees, as is found in conventional muffs. The sleeves are similarly lined and may be reversed so that they may be pushed back through the openings and into the center of the receptacle when the latter is not in use. Each opening may be provided with a Zipper type closure so that when both openings are zipped up, the receptacles may serve as a purse to hold cosmetics and other articles. In order that the receptacle may be conveniently carried, an encircling adjustable shoulder strap may be secured to the outer surface of the receptacle.

An article of apparel made in accordance with the present invention readily enables couples to sit and then hold adjacent hands within the heat retaining protection of the receptacle, while their other hands may be covered by the matching gloves or mittens of the combination. In this specification and the accompanying claims, the term glove shall be deemed to comprehend a mit or mitten-type hand covering as well as linger-type glove. Such an article in combination With the -pair of matching gloves will have great appeal, particularly to courting young couples and to others who may wish to join hands during some outdoor event such as a football or ice hockey game or on a ski lift up a mountainside. Moreover, it may be readily carried by one of the couple to the place where such hand courting is to take place. In the preferred combination, one pair of gloves is provided and may be stored in the receptacle when it is not being used. Of course, it is desirable that one of the two persons have his or her own pair of matching gloves in going to and from such place, and at the time of use of the receptacle and glove combination of the present invention, one of the pairs of gloves, or one different glove of each pair, should be put away in some pocket or other convenient storage container.

The retractibility of the sleeves of the receptacle and zipper-type closure of the openings enables the entire receptacle to be compacted into a minimum amount of space for convenient carrying, as well as eliminates the need for the female to carry a separate pocketbook, since she may store certain necessary articles within the receptacle. These desirable features of the present invention render it particularly appealing to young couples.

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the combination of the invention as worn by a couple riding a ski lift;

FIG. 2 is al detailed elevation of the receptacle of the combination with the sleeves in extended position;

FIG. 3 is a View similar to FIG. 2, but with the sleeves retracted and the zippers closed;

FIG. 4 is a developed view of the parts of the receptacle before assembly.

Referring to FIG. l of the drawings, it will be seen the mult-type receptacle 10 of the present invention may be shared by a couple in the manner there shown. In this illustration the left hand of the man is inserted through one gauntlet 12a while the right hand of the woman is inserted through the other gauntlet 12b, so that both hands may be joined inside the fur-lined pocket 14 delined by the covering 16.

The receptacle in the preferred embodiment of the invention is constructed of the several components laid out in pattern form in FIG. 4, and is assembled in the following manner:

A piece of sheepskin or fur-covered skin is cut to the symmetrical configuration 18 to provide the basic bag covering 16, and a similar piece of skin is cut into two gauntlet patterns, each of the pattern configuration 20 in FIG. 4, to make up the gauntlets 12a and 12b. A series of holes 21 are punched in the opposite ends of the pattern piece 20 for lacing. From a preferably soft but at tractive piece of leather, there is cut out a pair of gauntlet inserts 22, each to the configuration shown in FIG. 4, and an edge binding strip 24 to the symmetrical pattern also shown in that figure of the drawing. In addition, a pair of zippers 26 are required, each being of a length corresponding with the length of the edges 22f, 22g, starting at the points 22d and 22e respectively of the insert 22, which, in the embodiment illustrated, is seven inches.

The receptacle 10 may be best assembled from these several components in the following manner: Each zipper 26 is first pulled apart and one-half, 26a, is stitched over the inner area of the edge 22e of one of the gauntlets insert 22, and the other half 26b is stitched over the inner area of the edge 22b of such insert.

Each of the two gauntlet patterns 20 is next stitched to one of the gauntlet inserts 22, with edges 20d, 20e and 20c of the gauntlet pattern 20 being sewn to edges 22h, 22e and 22a respectively of the gusset insert. Then each of the thus combined gauntlet-and-gauntlet-inserts 20, 22 is stitched to the bag pattern 18 by sewing the edges 18g, 18h of the latter to the edges 227", 22g respectively of the insert 22.The belt 28 is formed by folding each half 28a, 28b over the fold line 28C and stitching edge 28d to the opposite edge 28e, and then inserting the resulting belt 28 into the buckle 30. This belt buckle combination is attached to one side of the bag 18 and the other buckle 32 is laced to the opposite side. The arcuate edges 18e, 18f of the bag 18 are then sewn together. Each gauntlet 20 may now be laced with a piece of lacing 34 to bring together the gauntlet edges 20a and 20b. At this point the belt loop 36 is sewn to the center of, and parallel to the edge binding strip 24. The latter is next sewn over the seam of the bottom of the bag (which is produced by stitching together the arcuate edges 18, 18f as heretofore stated), and continued around the gauntlet openings 36a, 36h, by disposing the inner and outer rows of holes 24e, 24g, 241C, 24h over the edge of the bag and stitching them to the edge of the openings 36a, 36b as a binding or trimming to cover the seam caused by sewing the inserts 22 to the bag 18. In this connection, it should be pointed out that the strip 24 is made just long enough to form two loops which serve for holding when the zippers are being closed.

In use, the receptacle is normally carried as shown in FIG. 3 with both gauntlets 12a, 12b pushed outside-in so that they may be disposed within the sheeps wool or fur lined pocket 14 and the zippers 26 pulled upwardly to close openings 36a, 36b through which the gauntlets 12a, 12b may be pushed or pulled out. 'I'he belt 28 is adjusted to fit the users shoulder or for hand carrying. The user may also place inthe pocket one or more personal articles such as a lipstick, cigarette lighter, compact, etc.

v `When two persons desire to share the use of the receptacle 10, the zippers 26 are drawn downwardly and each gauntlet is pulled out through the openings 36a, 3611 to the extended hand receiving position shown in FIG. 2. The belt 28 desirably may then be tightened to conform with the circumference of the receptacle, so as not to interfere with joint use of the latter, in the same manner illustrated in FIG. 1 and first above mentioned.

Also, to be preferably employed with the receptacle 10 is a pair of mittens of a sheepskin or fur lined material similar to that used in constructing the receptacle 10 and its gauntlets 12a, 12b, so that the receptacle and mittens when worn by two persons in the manner illustrated in FIG. l are matching in appearance. Such mittens, however, may be made up in a manner well known in the art and are not per se, and apart from the combination with the receptacle 10, claimed as the present invention.

I claim:

1. A hand receiving muff type receptacle, said recep-tacle comprising:

(a) a hollow flexible skin-like body,

(i) said body being of sufficient size and thickness comfortably to receive a pair of hands,

(ii) said body having a pair of openings radiating from the center thereof, the axes of said openings defining an angle substantially less than one hundred eighty degrees,

(iii) zipper means adapted to open and close each of said openings;

(b) a pair of iiexible sleeves,

(i) each of said sleeves having one end inserted through one of said openings and being secured inside said body, and

(ii) each of said sleeves being somewhat flaired outwardly from said body and adapted to be reversed and forced through the opening in said body into which its one end is inserted for securing inside said body, and thereby disposed wholly within said body to be closeable therein by said zipper means.

2. The receptacle as defined in claim 1 wherein the body is substantially circular. in configuration and the openings radiate through the edges of the circular body.

3. The receptacle as defined in claim 1 wherein the skin-like body is lined with a hand heat retaining material.

4. The receptacle as defined in claim 3 wherein the sleeves are lined with hand heat retaining material similar to that lining the body. v

5. The rec-eptacle as defined in claim 1 wherein a looptype carrying strap is provided about, and secured to the body.

6. The receptacle as defined in claim 1 wherein the sleeves are made of similar skin-like material as that of which the body is formed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 192,992 6/1962 Ruiter 2-159 X 526,950 10/1894 Sprung 2-66 1,300,088 4/1919 Wright 2-66 2,321,091 6/1943 Kertesz et al. 2-66 X 2,611,901 9/1952 Neider 2-158 3,203,005 8/1965 Burrows 2-158 ALFRED R. GUEST, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 2-158 

